South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) is one of the areas in South Sudan which has been ranked among the most food insecure according to the Food Security Classification Report over the past years.
Authorities in Pibor are now calling on the Transitional Unity Government to build roads to ease access to food supplies from the neighboring States and region.
“First of all, the humanitarians are really in support of the community. But sometimes accessibility is another challenge. The government need to make sure that there is a good connectivity. Greater Pibor is locked. It has no access to the national capital or to other states,” said David Ngiro Yangkon, Deputy Chairperson for Relief and Rehabilitation Commission for GPAA in an interview on Sunday.
Yangkon revealed that the recent flood-related risk assessment done by the government of Greater Pibor Administrative Area together with aid agencies has shown that people are really vulnerable.
“We have moved to almost four counties, such as Vertet County, Gumuruk County, and Likuangole and Pochala South, most of those counties are all covered by flood and it is so hard for the aid agencies to access those areas,” he said.
Yangkon disclosed that the World Food Programme (WFP) said that Likuangole, Vertet and Gumuruk Counties remain in emergency food situation due to poor road network despite humanitarian organizations frequently air dropping food aid.
“All counties of Greater Pibor are not accessible during the rainy season and even in the dry season because there is no road linking those counties to the headquarters of GPAA,” he said.
Yangkon also revealed that most of the aid agencies except WFP and UNICEF have faced logistical challenges to reach out to the most affected population.
He said that the poor road network has also made it difficult to provide vital medical supplies to some primary healthcare facilities in GPAA.
Yangkon said that most of the humanitarian organizations that want to deliver assistance are being hampered by logistical constraints, adding that people in remote areas such as Nanaam, Bichibich, Uno, Karyak, Torochoch and Lamachul take nearly a week to reach the Greater Pibor Administrative headquarters in Pibor town.
“There are some locations that people can take even six days to reach Pibor town, you find that there are primary health facilities but they are not equipped. There is not even medicine and the doctors are not there,” he said.
Yangkon disclosed that Gumuruk and Likuangole have currently about 3000 people displaced.
He also added that this is happening as armed youth from Uror County in neighboring Jonglei State are mobilizing to attack GPAA.
“As we speak there is a need to make sure that we connect roads so that anybody who is willing to support Greater Pibor is able to get access. Our mission is to see Greater Pibor Administrative Area connected to the national capital Juba as well as even Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei states,” he said.
